NEDLAC HOLDSSECOND MEETING TO CONSIDER COSATU
NOTICE
A second meeting was held at Nedlac today toconsider the notice
of possible protest action tabled by the Congress of South
AfricanTrade Unions regarding job losses. The protest action is
directed at Government, Businessand the Reseve Bank.
The notice was served in terms of s77(1)(b) ofthe Labour
Relations Act, which gives workers the right to embark on protest
action topromote and protect their social and economic interests,
if they follow certainprocedures. Nedlac is required to consider
the notice with a view to resolving the matterthrough a process of
facilitation.
The reasons tabled by Cosatu as motivation forthe intended
protest action include several elements of policy which Cosatu
believe relateto the increasing job losses, including:
- Employers' ability to retrench workers
- The Insolvency laws
- Interest rates
- The restructuring of government owned enterprises
- The reduction of import tariffs
The Nedlac Standing Committee noted that theissues raised in the
Cosatu notice have been considered in other Nedlac
structuressubsequent to the tabling of the notice on 30 July 1999.
These structures include the JobsSummit Supervisory Structure and
the Executive Council. The Executive Council has taskedNedlac's
Management Committee, to take forward the employment crisis issue,
including theissues raised by Cosatu, on an urgent basis.
The Standing Committee decided that a specialsession of the
Management Committee would be convened to discuss Cosatu's notice
and theissues raised therein. This would take place no later than
23 September 1999.